Questions remain over Wiggins package - British MP

British Cycling is still to provide proof a package delivered to Bradley Wiggins in 2011 contained only a legal decongestant, a British MP investigating doping in cycling said on Thursday.

Former British Cycling performance director Dave Brailsford told Britain's Culture, Media and Sport committee last week the package, sent to Wiggins during the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine, contained Fluimucil.

But Conservative party politician Damian Collins, who chairs the committee, said British Cycling had not been able to provide a paper trail backing up Brailsford's claims.

"It seems to be difficult to get precise records of exactly what was in this package, why it was ordered and the detail that you would want to know," Collins told BBC Radio 4.

"Dave Brailsford told the committee he'd been told by the team doctor it was this drug called Fluimucil, which is readily available in France, can easily be obtained and there are no restrictions on its usage.

"So if it's as simple as that, why get a British Cycling coach to courier it from Manchester via London to Geneva when you could have just gone to a pharmacy in France and bought it over the counter?

"That's why a lot of people looking at this say it looks odd, it doesn't look quite right."

The delivery has come under the spotlight after it emerged Wiggins, who retired on Wednesday, was granted therapeutic use exemptions for the banned substance triamcinolone prior to three major races.

Wiggins, British Cycling and Team Sky, Wiggins's former team, have denied wrongdoing and there is no suggestion they broke any rules.

Brailsford, boss of Team Sky, told the committee British Cycling coach Simon Cope had brought the package with him to France while he made a scheduled trip.

The Times on Thursday published a receipt showing Cope's return trip had cost £597.65 ($732.39, 699.28 euros).

After travelling to Manchester from southern England to collect the package, he flew to Geneva on June 12, drove to La Toussuire in France and returned to England the same day.

The newspaper said British Cycling president Bob Howden has written to the committee to explain it has been unable to access documents because they are "locked down" by UK Anti-Doping investigators.

Comments

It's been more than five years. By the time they get past all that curly gingers,, who knows who could have tinkered or tampered with Brad's package? No findings will be credible, whatever the findings may be.

"Hey dude, you still coming to the braai? Yes? Cool, please pick up some ice on the way"

He lied.. they said the guy delivering it was there to see another pro lady cyclist.. she was racing in Spain at the time[emoji53] there also is no paper trail.. Sky seem to be looking everywhere for it.. this after Brailsford said everything was handed to UKAD

Coming hot on the heels of a vigorous debate surrounding Bradley Wiggins' Therapeutic Use Exemptions for injectable corticosteroids, taken before the 2011 and 2012 Tours de France and 2013 Giro d'Italia, a report emerged in the Daily Mail that UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) were investigating "an allegation of wrongdoing in cycling".

It emerged that Simon Cope, a British Cycling employee, had travelled from the UK to France to transport a package containing unknown medication for Bradley Wiggins, delivering the 'jiffy bag' on the day he sealed victory at the Criterium du Dauphine.

October 7, 2016: UKAD confirm investigation into 'allegations of wrongdoing in cycling' after theDaily Mail's story on a medical delivery to Team Sky via British Cycling employee Simon Cope.

Meanwhile, speculation continued around what was in the package and whether or not Team Sky was operating in a 'grey area'. Former performance director Peter Keen said the case highlighted concerns he had already raised surrounding the connections between the publicly-funded British Cycling programs and the professional, privately funded, Team Sky.

In late October British Cycling was informed that Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport select committee had some questions about the case. The hearings took place on December 19, with Shane Sutton confirming that the package was delivered for Wiggins and was of a medical nature. David Brailsford then took the stand and said that he was told by the Team Sky doctor that the package contained the decongestant Fliumucil. But British Cycling executives said they had no knowledge this was the case, and have since been unable to provide documentary proof that this is what the package contained.